Flowchart of TCEQ and its Predecessor Agencies

A flowchart depicting the history of the TCEQ and its predecessor agencies.

Brief History of the TCEQ: The Texas Board of Water Engineers, established in 1913, became the Texas Water Commission in 1962, which then became the Texas Water Rights Commission in 1965. The Texas Water Pollution Control Advisory Council, established in 1953, became the Texas Water Pollution Control Board in 1961, which then became the Texas Water Quality Board in 1967. The Texas Water Development Board was established in 1957 and the Texas Air Control Board was established in 1965.

The Texas Water Rights Commission, the Texas Water Development Board, and the Texas Water Quality Board were combined in 1977 to form the Texas Department of Water Resources. This agency was split into the Texas Water Commission and the Texas Water Development Board in 1985. The Texas Water Commission and the Texas Air Control Board were combined to form the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission in 1993. The TNRCC’s name was changed to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in 2002.